Mail-bag-transferring apparatus.



'1. M. MOREIRA.

MAILBAG TRANSFERRING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16. I916- Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 31mm Jam flazrmazllarezra J. M. MOREIRA.

MAILBAG TRANSFE'RRlNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Ami- 6- 9 6- Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

2 SHEET SSHEET 2-.

JOSE MARCOS MOBEIRA, F LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAIL-BAG-TRANSFERRING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ov. 6,191 7.

Application filed August 16, 1916. Serial No. 115,259.

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, Josr': MARCOS l IOREIRA, a citizen of Portugal, residing at Lowell, 1n the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a lvIaiLBag-Transferring Apparatus. of which the following is a specification.

T his invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for the transfer of mail bags to and from moving trains or cars, a purpose of my invention being to provide an apparatus embodying bag holding and receiving devices which may be located and mounted on the train and on the ground in such a relation that as the mail bags are placed to be held by the bag holding means and the train or car passes the ground device. the mail bags will be taken by the receiving device and will thus be released from the holding device to be transferred and retained until manually released and removed from the receiving device.

A further object is to so construct the receiving device when the same is to be mounted on the ground, that the operative parts thereof may be swung into and out of position in which they will take the mail bags from the holding device as mounted on the train or car. and to arrange means which will hold the device in the operative position when it is set to take mail bags from a car or train.

Yet another object is toprovide means which is so constructed that a pair of the devices, constituting the bag holding and re-v ceiving devices, can be mounted upon the car and a second pair of devices can be mounted on the ground adjacent to the tracks, thus disposing the devices in such relation that the mail bags may be either received at or transferred from a given point along the track and may also be either taken by or discharged from the car.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter set forth in connection with the drawings and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Inthe drawings Figure 1 is a view in diagrammatic ele va tion showing the mounting of a pair of de-, vices upon a car.

Figs 2 is a, perspective view showing the bag holding device adapted for use upon the. car.

Fig. 3- is a perspective view showing the bag receiving device which is to be fitted on the car.

Fig. 4B shows the receiving device which is adapted to=be mounted on the ground to take the mail bags from the car, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the mail bag holding device adapted to be mounted adjacent to the track.

The bag holding and receiving devices as fitted on the car are preferably mounted in the relation shown in Fig. 1 where they are disposed on each side of the door, opening" as shown at 1, the bag holding device being generally indicated at 2 while the receiving device is indicated at 3. The two devices are disposed at different heights upon the car o that the ground devices may be disposed at corresponding heights to. bring the ground receiving device in a rela-.-

tion to take mail bags from the car holdingz device: and the holding device to a relation that bags held thereby will be taken by the receiving device as carried by the car. The bag holding device as applied to the car constitutes a supporting base portion l which is preferably made substantially Y shaped as shown in Fig. 2 and has an arm 1 5 extending forwardly therefrom. An extension arm 6 is mounted on the outer end of this arm 5 and is preferably 'angularly bent so that a rise is provided therein and the extreme end is disposed to extend at right angles from the side ofthe car in a plane parallel with the horizontal plane of the ground. Rods 7 are secured on the outer end of this extension arm 6 in such relation that they are disposed in a line substantially parallel with the side of the. car, and these rods 7 are preferably bowed up slightly as indicated at 8, adjacent to their. point of connection with the extension arm 6, the stop portions 9 being provided be-y tween-this bowedportion of each of the rods, and. the straight extent thereof. In

the use of the holding device, the supporting base f is secured to the outer wall 0ft the car in the relation shown at 2 in Fig.

1, so that the rods 7 will extend from the extension arm G-in a direction opposed. to

the-direction of travel of the car,- andwith thefdevice mounted as above set ..forth;the

mail bags may-.-be;plac.ed to beiheldthereby by clipping the rings of the end thereof over these rods 7 and as the centers of the bags are drawn in, as is better shown in Fig. 2, the bags will be distended in a relation that the contracted central portion is presented substantially centrally of the vertical extent of the bag.

The ground device for taking the mail bags from the holding device carried by the car is shown in Fig. 1, and as is here illustrated a base structure generally indicated by the reference character 10 is mounted at a suitable point adjacent to the track and at the location at which the mail bags are to be transferred from the moving car, a skeleton supporting standard 11 being mounted on this supporting base by the sha ft 12 on which the skeleton standard is arranged to be capable of turning movementas upon a vertical axis. Rods 13 are grouped and secured together to form a frame work which is mounted at the upper end of the supporting standard 11 to form an over hanging arm, which due to the mounting of the standard 11 on the shaft 12 is held to be capable of swinging movement. A shaft 14 is extended throughout the length of this overhanging arm structure formed by the members 13 and a car as indicated at 15 is mounted to have the wheels 16 thereof ar ranged to travel on the shaft 14 as a track. Bars 17 and 18 are mounted at the ends of the shaft 1% and the pulley wheels 19 and 22 are carried by the bar 18 while the pulleys 20 and 21 are mounted on the bars 17. A cable or line 23 is connected with the inner end of the car 15 and is led over the pulley wheel 19, and a cable or line 2% is connected with the outer end of the car 15 and is led over the pulleys 20, 21 and 22, so that by exerting cess may be readily had thereto from the ground and the ends of the cables or lines 23 and 24 are brought down and wrapped in opposite directions around the ends of the drum so that as the drum is turned in one direction or the other through the me dium of the handle 26, the one cable will be lengthened while the other is being shortened, the reverse turning of the drum accomplishing a reverse manipulation of the cables.

3- ring 27 is placed around the shaft 14: and is connected rigidly on the car 15 so that as the car is moved this ring will be carried therewith. A supporting member 28- is rigidly connected with the lower side of the. ring 27. and a substantially U-shaped bag catching member 29 is carried by the lower end of this supporting member 28 in such relation that the two sides are disposed'in a horizontal plane; 'The forward ends of the looped member 29 are spread outwardly indicated at 30 and 31, and suitable braces 32 are provided between this te -shaped member 29 and the supporting member 28 so that .the e haped member is thus rigidly mounted to be held by and travel with the car 15. A gate member 33 is hingedly mounted on one side of the U- shaped member 29 within the opening thereof, a s S-i being provided to normally gate member-to close against the stop 35 and to thus resiliently hold the gate in a relation that access may be had into the loop of tl-shaped member but the L118 member is closed against the removal of bags which may have been received therein.

Jprights 36 are disposed upwardly from the supporting siandards 11 and suitable braces 37 are extended therefrom to the end of the overhanging arm structure so that the same is held against sagging, and by this arrangement of the parts the U-shaped member which is adapted to receive the mail bags and take the same from the holding device as above described may be moved along the length of the overhanging arm to be brought to an operative position, and at the same time the supporting standard 11 may be turned around its mounting on the shaft 12 to swing the overhanging arm into and out of positions in which it extends adjacent to or away from the traclt. A. gear portion 33 is formed on the base iember of the supporting standard 11 and a gear wheel 39 is mounted on the base portion 10 to mesh with the teeth of the gear 38, a pinion 40 having an operating handle 41 mounted thereon being arranged in mesh with the gear 39 so that by turning this pinion 40, the supporting standard may be turned around the vertical axis to swing the overhanging arm to the desired position. It is desirablethat some means he provided to hold the supporting standards positively against movement in one direction and to thus prevent displacement of the parts from the position in which the overhanging arm may be set, while at the same time it is desirable that movement of the structure be permitted to allow the overhanging arm to swing back as the mail bags are taken from the holding device on the train to thusrelieve the shock incident to the sudden im-- pact. lVith the above facts inmind I provide a ratchet disk or wheel 42 as a part of the base of'tlie supporting standard 11 and mount a pawl 42 to engage with the teeth of this ratchet wheel or disk, a spring 43 being provided to resiliently hold the pawl 12 in the operative position. -This arra ngement of the pawl in the engaged relation.

with the ratchet disk will hold the supporting standard against swinging movement in one direction, but will permit swinging movement in the oppositedirection, and

thus the proper setting of the overhanging arms can be accomplished and maintained but the supporting standard will be permitted to have swinging movement to allow the overhanging arm to swing as the mail bags are taken by the receiving loop carried thereby.

In the use of the structure as described, the mail bag holding device is fitted in the relation as specified and the base structure of the ground receiving device is so positioned that the receiving device may be brought to a position where the substantially U-shaped receiving loop 29 thereof will catch the mail bags in the drawn in central portion as the car, havingthe mail bags suspended from the holding device thereof, passes the ground device, and as the gate 33 will close after the passage of the mail bags into the loop of the member 29, the bags will be held against accidental or casual displacement. It will of course be understood that one or several mail bags might be suspended from the holding device and that the bags might be connected with either or both of the arms 7 The receiving device as mounted on the car might be constructed in substantially the same form as the receiving device illustrated in Fig. 4 with only slight changes to fit the particular adaptations; however,-it may not be necessary to hinge the arm which supports the bag receiving loops or to mount this bag receiving loop in such relation that it will be capable of movement into and out of operative position, and in Fig. I have illustrated a form of receiving device which constitutes the supporting base portion '14 which has the arm and extension arm structure disposed laterally therefrom, the parts being so arranged that as the base member is connected on the side of a car, the arm and extension arm will extend substantially at right angles from the side of the car. A bag receiving loop 4C6, which is substantially U-shaped is constructed in the same manner as the loop 29 of the form of receiving device shown in Fig. 4, and when the receiving device as illustrated is properly mounted on the side of the car, this receiving loop will be disposed in proper mounting to take the mail bags from a holding device mounted on the ground adjacent to the track.

The holding device to be mounted on the ground might be identical in every way with the holding device as illustrated in Fig. 2, the parts as shown in Fig. 5 being so illustrated, and consequently it being correspondingly designated. The several rods 47 are arranged in grouped relation to be held together by the top member as. A plate 49 is secured on the uprights and the supporting member 1 of the holding device is secured thereto. It will of course be understood that the holding device will be rigidly mounted in such a relation that the rods 7 will be presented at the proper position to have mail bags held and supported thereon, but to give additional support to this structure which it willalwaysbe understood is to remain in a stationary mounting along the track, the rod 50 is extended up from the top plate 4:8 and has'the base members 51 connected therewith to maintain the upright position, a suitable base connection as indicated at 52 being provided between the top of this rod '50 and the extension arm 6 of the bag holding device.

The use of the structure has been set forth above-and it is not believed recapitulation need here be indulged in.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a mail bag transferring ap paratus which is so-constructed that the mail bags may be either transferred from the car to'the ground or the reverse, and in eitheroperation the bags will be caught by the receiving device and will be positively held until manually removed, thus assuring that the bags will not fall upon the tracks to be ground beneath the wheels of the passing train or a later train and that the bags will be held from falling along side of th'e track where they would become wet and muddy and might even be covered by snow so that the bags would be entirely lost, and while I have herein shown and described. only specific forms of the structure. it will of course be understood that variations and modifications might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to belimited to the exact disclosure but rather only to such points as may be set forthin s the claims.

I claim:

1'. A mail bag transferring apparatus comprising in combination with means arranged to hold mail bags which are to be caught, a catching structure including a support having an arm extending in overhanging relation therefrom, a car mounted on said arm to be capable of movement along the extent thereof toward and from the support, mail bag catching means mounted in suspension from the car traveling on the arm, and means to move the car along the extent of the overhanging arm to bring the catching device to a position to take mail bags from the holding means and to another position in whichthe catching device is inoperative.

2. A mail bag transferring apparatus including bag catching means comprising asupport having an arm extended in oven hanging relation therefrom, a car mounted on said arm to be capable of movement along the extent thereof toward and from the support, a substantially U-shaped mail bag receiving member mounted in suspension from said car, means to move the car along the extent of the overhanging arm to bring the same to'a position to catch mail bags and to another extreme position adjacent the support, means by which the supporting member is mounted to be capable of turning movement to allow swinging of the overhanging arm into and out of an operative position, and means to impart manually in duced movement to the said supporting means to bring the arm to the position for use. v j

A mail bag transferring apparatus including a fastening means comprising a support having an arm extended in overhanging relation therefrom, a car mounted on said arm to be capable of movementalong the extent thereof toward and from said support, a mail bag catching member mounted to be carried by the car, means to move the car along the extent of the overhanging .arm to bring the catching device to a position for use and to dispose the same adjacent the support, means by which the supporting member is mounted to be capable of turning movement to allow swinging of the overhanging arm into and out of a position for use, means to impart manually induced movement to said supporting means, and means to restrain movement of said supporting means in one direction while allowing turning movement in an opposite direction to permit the arm to swing as mail bags are taken by the catching member.

at. A mail bag transferring apparatus including a bag catching structure comprising an upright support mounted to be capable of turning movement on a vertical axis, an

arm mounted on the supporting structure to extend in substantially a horizontal plane Copies of this patent maybe obtained for at one side thereof, a shaft formed in conjunction with said arm, a car mounted on said shaft tobe capable of movement along the extent of the arm, means by which the car is moved, bag catching means carried in suspension from said car, a gear wheel arranged in conjunction with the upright support, manually actuatable gears associated with the gear of the support in such a way that turning movement is imparted to the support to cause the arm to be swung, and pawl and ratchet means to restrain movement of the support in one direction while allowing movement in a reverse direction.

5. A mail bag trai'isferring apparatus including bag catchingmeans comprising a support having an arm extended in overhanging relation therefrom, a car mounted to be capable of movement along the extent of the arm, mail bag catching means carried by said car, and means to move the car along the extent of the overhanging arm to bring the same into and out of the bag catching position. I

6. A mail bag transferring apparatus including bag catching means comprising a support having an arm extended in overhanging relation therefrom, a car mounted to be capable of movement along the extent of the arm, mail bag catching means carried by said car, means to move the car valong the extent of the overhanging arm to bring the same into and out of the bag catching position, means by which the support is mounted to be capable of turning movement on a vertical axis to thus allow swinging movement of the arm, and pawl and ratchet means associated with the support to hold the same against movement in one direction.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSE MARCOS MOREIRA,

Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. END, l WILLIAM A. CANIIELD.

five cents each; by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. V 

